Day 7

ABANDONED DEVOTION:

Creative Praise:

In response to the following Scripture, sing a song of praise to Jesus, draw Him a picture, or write Him a poem.  

“Praise the Lord as Mary did when she sang, ‘For the mighty One has done great things for me – Holy is His Name. His merc"y extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.’ He is the mighty One full of mercy – mercy poured out through history to countless souls and your soul today.” (Luke 1:49-50)

3-Stage Bible Study:  Read the Q—Analyze the Verse—Write Your Response

Who has God sent to help you understand His voice that speaks through the Scriptures?  How can you better hear God’s voice in Scripture?[i]

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12)

Prayer Journal Questions: Listen to the Lord as you meditate on the following verses. 

What are sins that God is showing you that need to be confessed in your life and in your generation? 

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

What are ways you can pray for and pursue revival on your campus?

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence —  As fire burns brushwood, As fire causes water to boil —  To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence!” (Isaiah 64:1-2)

GLOBAL PROCLAMATION:

Forgotten People Group: The Turkmen of Turkmenistan

Nearly three million Turkmen live in Turkmenistan, which is located in south central Asia along the Caspian Sea. Many others live in the surrounding Asian nations of Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. Smaller groups can also be found in Russia and Syria. They are mostly Muslims who, for the most part, have had little or no contact with Christianity.

Their culture has been strongly influenced in the past by both the Turkic conquerors, who imposed their language on them, and the Arabs, who forced them to convert to Islam. Long ago, they developed a strong ethnic identity as "children of the desert" because they would plunder rich caravans of Persian traders. Eventually, they became involved in slave trading as well.

What are their beliefs?
Ninety-five percent of the Turkmen in Uzbekistan are Muslims of the Hanafite branch. The Nestorian Christians penetrated Turkestan in the fourth century A.D.; but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, this had been totally replaced by Islam. This transition gradually came to influence the political, civil, and economic lives of the people.

Despite the outward conformity to Islam, mysticism and other past religious traditions are still prevalent.

In 1928, the Soviet authorities launched an anti- religious campaign aimed at the complete destruction of Islam among the Turkmen. The campaign was the harshest and most violent of all anti-Islamic attacks in central Asia. It lasted until 1941; but after a short delay during the war, this attack was resumed in 1948.

What are their needs?
There is little awareness of Christianity among the Turkmen. The four missions agencies targeting them have made very little progress. More laborers and evangelistic tools are desperately needed. With modern technology, there may be some inroads possible through satellite television and radio. Presently, there are no known believers among them.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Turkmenistan and share Christ with the Turkmen.
• Pray that Christian television and radio broadcasts will soon be made available in their language.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to the missions agencies that are targeting the Turkmen.
• Pray that God will open doors for Christian businessmen to share Christ with the Turkmen.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Turkmen toward Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will open the hearts of Turkmenistan's governmental leaders to the Gospel.
• Ask the Lord to raise up a strong local church among the Turkmen by the year 2010.

Promise from Scripture:

“Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them!”

Isaiah 42:10

Generational Barrier:

Releasing Forgiveness – Today’s emerging generation may be one of the most broken generations yet. There are more broken families and deep-seated pain and scars then previously. We can’t control other people’s actions toward us but only our own. Forgiveness (not condoning people’s actions or words) must be extended for our own freedom and healing. Pray for the emerging generation to receive God’s enabling grace to extend forgiveness to family members, relatives, friends, that have abused them and hurt them deeply in order to receive the full blessings of God. (Matthew 6: 14,15)

Prayer Journaling Response:

Take a few moments to record thoughts, prayers, and any insight. Also, it is often helpful to record how the Lord led in prayer – Scriptures, mental pictures, or a word or thought. Practice not only praying but also listening to the Lord. As we understand how the Lord is leading us, we can more quickly tune into the Lord’s voice when we have major decisions facing us or in times when the Lord feels far from us.